Advice on T5 lighting

[GoVols]

Here is more advise. Don't buy bulbs via ups. Today. Grrr

I've had one or two in a shipment bust but never close to that many.

 

[Scott.h]

All 8. So irritated. This crap always happens. Hopefully my 6 coral and a fish order scheduled for morning go better.

 

[Be102]

Looking to order a 4 combo t5 bulb setup; 2 blue +, coral + and a true actinic. Any experiences with these? My tank is 65 gallons with a 4 bulb t5 aquatic life fixture.

 

[GoVols]

Looking to order a 4 combo t5 bulb setup; 2 blue +, coral + and a true actinic. Any experiences with these? My tank is 65 gallons with a 4 bulb t5 aquatic life fixture.

Drop the actinic and get 3 blue + with 1 coral +

 

[Be102]

Drop the actinic and get 3 blue + with 1 coral +

Improved coral growth? Or? Honestly I've never seen them in person: just saw what the actinic looked like in videos and was interested in the colors it produced. Thanks

 

[GoVols]

Improved coral growth? Or? Honestly I've never seen them in person: just saw what the actinic looked like in videos and was interested in the colors it produced. Thanks[/QUOTE

Improved coral growth? Or? Honestly I've never seen them in person: just saw what the actinic looked like in videos and was interested in the colors it produced. Thanks

Better growth and these 4 bulbs will give you tank a great visual look. A coral + with a actinic is too white in a 4 bulb setup. Go 3 B+ with 1 Coral +. Coral + is better for your corals than an actinic.

 

[Scott.h]

@Be102 , I have a 4 bulb aquatic life fixture also. Do you already have this fixture or are you just looking for bulbs? What's in the tank?

 

[Be102]

@Be102 , I have a 4 bulb aquatic life fixture also. Do you already have this fixture or are you just looking for bulbs? What's in the tank?

I currently have the fixture; just feel the need to switch the stock bulbs considering I've yet to do so and it's been a little over a year. Not getting my coral growth for the limited selection of corals I have.

 

[G8trBait16]

I have an ATI 48" 8x54w Dimmable fixture. I switched from 2 Hydra 52 HD's over my 75g SPS dominated tank. Bulb Selection is below.

Front
ATI Blue+
Giesemann Super Purple
Giesemann Super Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Coral+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
Back

I am thinking of switching it up a bit, bc it is has more of a purple look, which I don't like too much. Maybe a new bulb combo will work with the bulbs I already have. Thinking about:

Front
Blue+
Blue+
Giesemann Super Actinic
coral+
blue+
ATI True Actinic
Aqua Blue Special
blue+

Something to think about. What do y'all think. Below is what it looked like on 12/15.

 

[GoVols]

I have an ATI 48" 8x54w Dimmable fixture. I switched from 2 Hydra 52 HD's over my 75g SPS dominated tank. Bulb Selection is below.

Front
ATI Blue+
Giesemann Super Purple
Giesemann Super Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Coral+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
Back

I am thinking of switching it up a bit, bc it is has more of a purple look, which I don't like too much. Maybe a new bulb combo will work with the bulbs I already have. Thinking about:

Front
Blue+
Blue+
Giesemann Super Actinic
coral+
blue+
ATI True Actinic
Aqua Blue Special
blue+

Something to think about. What do y'all think. Below is what it looked like on 12/15.

Nice, Love the BTA.

Here my line up, but I have led's between #4 and #5 slot.
To me the ABS = wash out. a lot of reefer's dropped the ABS when the coral + came out.
Front to Back
1) Blue +
2) Blue +
3) Coral +
4) Blue +
5) Blue +
6) Carol +
7) Blue +
8)Blue +

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Looking to order a 4 combo t5 bulb setup; 2 blue +, coral + and a true actinic. Any experiences with these? My tank is 65 gallons with a 4 bulb t5 aquatic life fixture.

Drop the actinic and get 3 blue + with 1 coral +

either way.

 

[dragon99]

I am thinking of switching it up a bit, bc it is has more of a purple look, which I don't like too much. Maybe a new bulb combo will work with the bulbs I already have. Thinking about:

Front
Blue+
Blue+
Giesemann Super Actinic
coral+
blue+
ATI True Actinic
Aqua Blue Special
blue+

Something to think about. What do y'all think. Below is what it looked like on 12/15.

I'd add at least 1 more Coral+, probably in place of the Aquablue, that's almost exactly what I plan to run when I get to all 8 bulbs on.

How have you liked the T5's vs the 52's? How long since you switched?

 

[G8trBait16]

I love the T5's, a lot less shadowing and easier to get spectrum right. The only downside is you don't get the "pop" with T5's as you do with Blue LED's. Down the road I will get some Blue LED's to attach to the ATI.

 

[Scott.h]

I currently have the fixture; just feel the need to switch the stock bulbs considering I've yet to do so and it's been a little over a year. Not getting my coral growth for the limited selection of corals I have.

Ok I was just going to suggest you get the 6 bulb fixture instead of the 4 if you hadn't. I'm not sure if it's lack of bulbs of the reflectors but that fixture only puts out a tad over 100 par at the water surface with new bulbs so the higher light corals might have some difficulties. If you do that bulb combo it might not be super bright visually.

 

[Be102]

Ok I was just going to suggest you get the 6 bulb fixture instead of the 4 if you hadn't. I'm not sure if it's lack of bulbs of the reflectors but that fixture only puts out a tad over 100 par at the water surface with new bulbs so the higher light corals might have some difficulties. If you do that bulb combo it might not be super bright visually.

Sorry for the late reply -

This is my light
http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...quaticLife-AK01035-FILTFIT56U-AK01036-vi.html I honestly didn't even realize the night mode was made up of LEDs . If it need be; I can put a new light on my list of things to get. I just recently learned that lights that have been over worked lose they're strength despite providing light. Could you possibly give me an idea of timing for my lights too? It has a timer but I have never utilized it. Basically it goes I'm awake, I'll put the lights on and shut them off when it's later at night and I'm tired of the brightness (tank is beside my bed). But this clearly isn't doing very well for them. I actually have even had some recently new corals fade this past weed.. unsure if it's cause a Duncan touched it or not..

 

[Scott.h]

Sorry for the late reply -

This is my light
http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...quaticLife-AK01035-FILTFIT56U-AK01036-vi.html I honestly didn't even realize the night mode was made up of LEDs . If it need be; I can put a new light on my list of things to get. I just recently learned that lights that have been over worked lose they're strength despite providing light. Could you possibly give me an idea of timing for my lights too? It has a timer but I have never utilized it. Basically it goes I'm awake, I'll put the lights on and shut them off when it's later at night and I'm tired of the brightness (tank is beside my bed). But this clearly isn't doing very well for them. I actually have even had some recently new corals fade this past weed.. unsure if it's cause a Duncan touched it or not..

I have the exact fixture but the only 24" model over my frag tank. It works but it's just not the greatest as far as spectrum and intensity. With Only 4 bulbs you don't get the bulb selection or the par numbers. Everthing in there is doing fine, but I have that frag rack higher to get more light. It's 118 par right under the waters surface. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve really. If you need more light you could easily add a 48" led
Light bar (assuming your 65 is a 48" tank) and that would give you the led shimmer, some blue spectrum, while getting the benefits of t5 all while raising your par numbers. That's probably what I would do. For reference here is my 8 bulb Ati over my tank I'm setting up next to my frag tank with the aquatic life fixture.

As far as the timer goes, I got tired of programming the dang thing. I set the clock and have been using the automatic schedule for a few months. I think it's 10 hours both channels, with an hour of the blue before and after? That's fine. It's primarily LPS in there

 

[Be102]

I have the exact fixture but the only 24" model over my frag tank. It works but it's just not the greatest as far as spectrum and intensity. With Only 4 bulbs you don't get the bulb selection or the par numbers. Everthing in there is doing fine, but I have that frag rack higher to get more light. It's 118 par right under the waters surface. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve really. If you need more light you could easily add a 48" led
Light bar (assuming your 65 is a 48" tank) and that would give you the led shimmer, some blue spectrum, while getting the benefits of t5 all while raising your par numbers. That's probably what I would do. For reference here is my 8 bulb Ati over my tank I'm setting up next to my frag tank with the aquatic life fixture.

As far as the timer goes, I got tired of programming the dang thing. I set the clock and have been using the automatic schedule for a few months. I think it's 10 hours both channels, with an hour of the blue before and after? That's fine. It's primarily LPS in there

This is my tank; but I don't think it's 48' tall.. http://www.petsmart.com/fish/suppli...aqueon-65-gallon-aquarium-ensemble-16714.html
or maybe I just am wrong with the dimensions lol. But what would you recommend I use for an LED bar? I honestly feel like it's really strange I've kept a few of those corals alive for a year and yet they don't really grow but just seem to extend polyps and that's about it. I have been using Coral pro salt so the element factor should have been there.. what bulbs do you use in your fixture? So do you just leave all your settings on auto for the tank? So my question is that basically if my lights aren't on; the "night" mode is always on.. is that detrimental? I just once woke up to the night on auto which made them shut off at a time and basically I turned them back on to find my little blenny and some other fish seemed quite distressed.. so since then the night mode is always on whenever the "white/blue" aren't on. Could my corals bleaching be from the lack of the light? I feel like I sometimes am very inconsistent with them either leaving them with on for 10+ hours or not turning them on for a day or two to fight algae growth.

 

[GoVols]

This is my tank; but I don't think it's 48' tall.. http://www.petsmart.com/fish/suppli...aqueon-65-gallon-aquarium-ensemble-16714.html
or maybe I just am wrong with the dimensions lol. But what would you recommend I use for an LED bar? I honestly feel like it's really strange I've kept a few of those corals alive for a year and yet they don't really grow but just seem to extend polyps and that's about it. I have been using Coral pro salt so the element factor should have been there.. what bulbs do you use in your fixture? So do you just leave all your settings on auto for the tank? So my question is that basically if my lights aren't on; the "night" mode is always on.. is that detrimental? I just once woke up to the night on auto which made them shut off at a time and basically I turned them back on to find my little blenny and some other fish seemed quite distressed.. so since then the night mode is always on whenever the "white/blue" aren't on. Could my corals bleaching be from the lack of the light? I feel like I sometimes am very inconsistent with them either leaving them with on for 10+ hours or not turning them on for a day or two to fight algae growth.

Depending on what you want to grow I'd get one of these two options. The ramp timers are awesome, just about the best bag for the $ on the market.

Option-1) http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+27873&pcatid=27873

Option-2) http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+31126&pcatid=31126

 

[Be102]

Depending on what you want to grow I'd get one of these two options. The ramp timers are awesome, just about the best bag for the $ on the market.

Option-1) http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+27873&pcatid=27873

Option-2) http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+31126&pcatid=31126

Are these to replace my main light? Or just to supplement with a led aswell? I'm sorry To sound clueless, but what advantages are running both a t5 and an led? Would they be run together?

 

[GoVols]

Are these to replace my main light? Or just to supplement with a led aswell? I'm sorry To sound clueless, but what advantages are running both a t5 and an led? Would they be run together?

I think you said you just found out you have led's too. I figured they're in the middle of your t5's. If one of these fits in the middle of your t5's put it in there, you'll love it. If it won't, then scrap the thought and just run your t5's.

You would be running the t5's with the led's. Don't dump any of your t5's!

Thought we could make you a T5/Led hybird at a great price. Best of both world's!
If I mis-understood sorry for the confusion